Alaric sat quietly in the corner of the apothecary, the faint scent of herbs and incense filling the air. The soft rustling of Elona’s movements in the adjacent room was the only sound, a quiet reminder of her presence. For the first time in years, Alaric felt an unfamiliar peace in his heart. It wasn’t the kind that came from success or wealth, but a calm born from simply being near the woman he had wronged so deeply.He leaned his head back against the wall, closing his eyes, but the memories of his failures refused to let him rest. His chest tightened as he thought of Elona, who had faced the world alone because of his poor judgmentWhy did I let myself believe those women? he thought bitterly. Maribel, Harley... all their lies, all their schemes. And I fell for them like a fool. Each time, I pushed Elona further away.He remembered the last time he had seen her before their reunion. She had been standing in the rain, holding their triplets, her shoulders squared despite the whisp
The scandal had escalated far beyond what anyone could have anticipated. What had begun as a battle of egos between two conniving women had now turned into a full-blown international conflict? The people of Country M were outraged, not only by the mistreatment of their beloved billionaire, Alaric Royale but also by the revelations that pointed to a calculated effort to exploit and possibly eliminate him.In the streets of Country M, citizens rallied in support of Alaric. Protests erupted outside the embassy of Country S, with signs reading, “Hands off Alaric!” and “Justice for the Royale Family!” Government officials held emergency meetings, while media outlets ran 24/7 coverage of the unfolding chaos.The Government of Country M RespondsIn the capital of Country M, the Prime Minister held a press conference.“We are appalled by the revelations surrounding Mr. Alaric Royale, a respected citizen and a pillar of our nation’s economy,” the Prime Minister declared, her voice firm. “The i
The internet was ablaze once more as the Terrific Trio struck again. This time, their revelations were even more damning, shaking the foundations of the royal palace of Country S and putting diplomatic relations with Country M on the verge of collapse.The triplets, emboldened by their success, uploaded a new set of evidence to their media handle, Terrific Trio Unleashed. This time, it was a detailed video and audio recording that painted Maribel as a master manipulator who had gone to extreme lengths to control Alaric.The uploaded video began with surveillance footage from Alaric’s private suite in a luxury hotel, where he had stayed during a business trip to Country S. The footage, enhanced for clarity, showed Maribel sneaking into the suite, pouring a substance into Alaric’s drink, and then carefully placing the vial back into her purse.The accompanying audio recording, extracted from a tapped phone call between Maribel and the Queen Consort, revealed their chilling conversation:
The apothecary was quiet, save for the soft hum of the herbs boiling on the stove. Alaric sat on a wooden chair by the window, his gaze fixed on the serene garden outside. The peace in the apothecary was a stark contrast to the storm raging inside him.The news of everything that had transpired, the scandals, the evidence, and the truth his children uncovered, had finally reached him. Jimmy had arrived earlier that morning with a briefcase full of reports and a tablet preloaded with videos and articles detailing the chaos. Alaric had barely made it past the first video before the guilt consumed him.Alaric replayed the evidence the triplets had released, his chest tightening with every revelation. “They’re just five years old,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair. “How could they have done all this?”The thought of his children, barely out of infancy, uncovering truths that had eluded him for years made him feel incompetent. They had protected him, stood up for him, and expos
The morning light streamed through the apothecary’s windows, casting warm golden rays over Alaric’s face. He had barely slept, his thoughts consumed by the triplets, Elona, and the mess he had created. Sitting at the edge of his bed, he made a decision, it was time to take responsibility.Alaric had insisted on seeing the triplets. Elona hesitated, knowing the children had grown fond of their father but also protective of her. Finally, she relented, and Jimmy arranged for the children to visit.When the triplets entered the apothecary, they were a whirlwind of energy. Allie marched in first, hands on her hips, her fiery personality on full display. Artie followed, his expression serious and calculating, while Arlyle brought up the rear, his quiet demeanor masking the protective glint in his eyes.The moment they saw Alaric, they stopped. For a second, there was silence. Then Allie broke it, her voice sharp. “Are you better now, Daddy? Or are you going to let those bad women trick you
Alaric paced the apothecary late into the night, the memories of Elona’s quiet strength and unwavering determination replaying in his mind. She had endured so much, not only for their children but also for him, a man who had failed her when she needed him most. The gap between them felt like an insurmountable chasm, and the weight of his mistakes bore down on him like a leaden cloak.He paused at the window, staring into the moonlit garden outside. His resolve tightened. Winning Elona back wasn’t just about love. It was about giving her the status, respect, and security she deserved. For her and for the triplets, he had to do better.Meanwhile, Elona sat in her room, reviewing the latest accounts from the Guild of Shadows. Though she had stepped back from active missions since reuniting with the triplet's dad, her sharp mind and strategic prowess were still vital to the guild's operations.Elona had no illusions about her position. She was the mother of Alaric’s children, nothing mor
Alaric sat in the apothecary's library, poring over medical journals he barely understood. It had been weeks since he had made the promise to win Elona back, and every passing day unveiled another facet of her life, a life he had barely scratched the surface of when he sent her away.Elona was nothing like the fragile woman he had envisioned her to be when they first reunited. She was a storm contained in elegance, a blend of intellect and power wrapped in a calm exterior. She had achieved mastery in fields he hadn’t even dreamed of exploring, and yet she carried herself with humility.Today, as he observed her instructing a junior herbalist on the precise preparation of a rare antidote, he realized just how wrong he had been to believe she needed him to survive.Alaric was in actual fact, Rediscovering Elona. Later that evening, Alaric found himself sitting across from Master Fu, who sipped his tea with an amused smile. “You look troubled, young man,” Master Fu remarked, his sharp ey
Alaric Royale was known for many things, his ruthless business acumen, his unyielding drive, and his penchant for revenge. But lately, those who watched him closely were left scratching their heads. The man who once decimated his enemies without hesitation now seemed... distracted. His focus had shifted entirely, and his sole target was not an enemy but the woman he had once wronged, the mother of his triplets, Elona.Instead of seeking retribution against Maribel, the Queen Consort, or even Harley, Alaric had made a startling decision: revenge could wait. Time to mend what was broken with Elona could not.In the Royale Mansion’s grand study, his assistant Jimmy stood awkwardly, unsure of how to approach his boss. Alaric sat behind his desk, scrolling through an online store, a frown of concentration on his face.“Uh, sir?” Jimmy began cautiously. “Yes?” Alaric didn’t look up, still analyzing his options. “Is that... a guide on romantic gifts?”Alaric finally glanced up, his expressi
The cold evening air bit at Alaric’s skin as he pulled up to the gates of his villa. His mind was still reeling from his conversation with Senior Royale. The curse. The imposter. His mistakes.He had wasted over a year. A year living under the same roof as a fraud while his real wife was out there, alone. No. In the hands of another man. She didn't have her memories and that made her vulnerable. His grip on the steering wheel tightened. Never again. He will set things right. This was his vow to himself. As his car rolled to a stop, his sharp eyes caught sight of two figures standing near the gate. Edward Callahan. Tania. A frown settled on his face. What were they doing here? Hadn’t they just returned from abroad?Alaric stepped out of his car, his powerful frame cutting through the dim light of the villa’s entrance. The moment Edward spotted him, the man’s piercing blue eyes locked onto his like a predator finally finding its prey.Tania, on the other hand, looked livid, arms cross
Alaric sat in his dimly lit study, the ticking of the antique clock grating on his already frayed nerves. His fingers drummed against the polished wood of his desk, his mind replaying a detail that had been gnawing at him for days.Elona was five months pregnant when she arrived in Country M with Kian. That was nine months ago. He clenched his jaw. With the right calculations, she must have given birth. So, where was the baby? Or… babies, since Elona had a history of giving birth to multiples? Since he now knew the truth, it was obvious that he was the father. A shiver ran down his spine when the possibility of Kian claiming them as his flickered in his mind. His breath turned shallow, his obsessive compulsive need for order clashing violently with the messy reality he had allowed to unfold. He was a man who thrived on control, everything in its rightful place, everything accounted for.But this? This was chaos. An unprecedented kind of chaos. The real Elona was out there, with anot
Meanwhile, in Velmorah, Aria decided not to worry about Alaric's threats or the threats that loomed in the dark. She did not even want to deal with the imposter who stole her identity. For her, the past life she once had, did not matter at all. What really mattered were her children, the flesh of her flesh. Now that they had reconnected, she felt whole again.Aria sat in the warmth of her private study, her delicate fingers curled around a porcelain teacup as she watched the triplets animatedly recount stories from their past. The soft glow of lanterns cast flickering shadows on the walls, but the only thing that held her attention was the three little geniuses before her.She had barely known them for a short while, yet it felt as though her soul had recognized them long before her mind had. They were the missing piece of her heart, the heartbeat she didn’t even know she had lost.The triplets took turns to help her understand the life they shared before she was hurt whilst accompany
The prison wardens office swirled with a suffocating tension. The revelation hand a certain ominous feeling that was pressing down on everyone in the room. The forensic team stood frozen, the results on their screen a glaring contradiction to what had been believed for over a year.“This… this isn’t possible,” the warden stammered, his face turning ashen. His fingers trembled as he clutched the paper detailing the fingerprint results. Feeling the colad and fore doing aura emanating from the Royale grandfather and grandson, his knees nearly buckled. Alaric sat across from him, and his cold, calculating gaze drilling into the man like a sharpened blade. His posture was deceptively relaxed, but his aura was suffocating. Even the most hardened officers in the room dared not meet his eyes. “Explain,” Alaric said, his voice dangerously quiet.The forensic specialist cleared his throat, stepping forward. “Sir, according to our records, this woman”, he pointed to the prison cell's current oc
Aria paced the length of the study, her fingers curled into tight fists. The weight of the letter still lingered in her mind, but it wasn't fear that consumed her now, it was frustration."Who does he think he is?" she muttered, her voice sharp with anger. "He had an imposter by his side for a year, and now he thinks he can summon me like I owe him an explanation?"Kian leaned against the desk, his arms crossed. "Alaric is a desperate man, Aria. The fact that he’s finally figured out that the woman beside him isn’t you means he’s digging deeper. We need to be ahead of him." Aria exhaled sharply. "I don’t care about what he figures out. I care about keeping my children out of this mess."Master Fu, who had been silent until now, set down a document on the table. "We might not have the luxury of staying out of it anymore. Our sources have confirmed something troubling, Maribel is not working alone. There's someone orchestrating this deception from the shadows."Aria stilled. "What do yo
The days that followed were quiet but suffocating. The peacefulness of the Vortigen Grand Villa, which had once been a refuge, now felt more like a gilded cage. Aria's thoughts often wandered back to the time before her memories had been taken. Before she had learned the truth about her life, about Alaric, and about the world she had once belonged to. But those days seemed like a distant dream now.She focused on the present, on her children, and on the promise she had made to Kian. They would not let the past destroy what they had built. However, the threat of Alaric’s return still loomed over them like a dark cloud. The truth was out there, and it was only a matter of time before it reached him.Kian, ever the protector, was especially vigilant. He spent long hours studying the files and information Master Fu had gathered about Alaric’s movements, searching for any sign of weakness, anything that would give them an edge. He wasn’t about to let Aria slip through his fingers again. F
The ominous, foreboding feeling that lingered over Vortigen Grand Villa had settled into a tense silence. Master Fu paced slowly in the study, deep in thought, while Kian and Aria sat with the triplets, who were now playfully rolling around on the rug. Their laughter seemed like a distant melody, a stark contrast to the storm brewing on the horizon.Aria absentmindedly played with Allie’s hair, the feel of her daughter’s soft curls grounding her, anchoring her to the present, to the family she had found in Kian and these beautiful children. She had made her decision. The past, with all its pain and lies, was behind her.But even as she tried to savor this peace, her thoughts kept drifting to the woman who had taken her place in Alaric’s life. The imposter.A gnawing unease began to grow inside her, the certainty of what had been done to her, what had been done to the triplets. It was a heavy feeling, one she couldn’t shake. Kian noticed her growing quiet and placed his hand gently on
The Vortigen Grand Villa was silent, tension swirling around the whole place. Master Fu sat at the grand study’s desk, his fingers drumming lightly against the polished mahogany surface. The triplets sat on the plush couch with Kian and Aria, their small faces serious as they waited.In his hands, Master Fu held the DNA analysis results, sent directly from Alaric himself, who had unknowingly delivered the truth into their hands.The envelope was already opened, the paper slightly crumpled from his grip. He had read the contents twice, yet the the truth was a bittersweet revelation. Although he expected it, Aria had no recollection of her past. But it was also good for the triplets to know that they were right.Aria took a slow breath, her fingers entwined with Kian’s. Although she had braced herself, though she had always felt an inexplicable connection to the triplets, a part of her still feared, feared that this was all a cruel trick of fate.Master Fu exhaled sharply before looking
Forty-Eight Hours Later......Alaric Royale sat behind his massive oak desk, his fingers rhythmically tapping against the polished surface. The clock on the wall ticked steadily, but his mind was anything but calm.Forty-eight hours had passed. A whole two days since he had Maribel’s blood drawn under the guise of a routine check-up. Any minute now, he knew he'd be drawing closer to the truth.A soft ding echoed in the quiet office and his phone screen lit up with a message from Dr. Hastings: "The results are ready. You’ll need to see this in person."Alaric’s grip on his phone tightened. He rose from his chair, grabbing his coat with a sharp motion before striding out. Jimmy, who had been standing nearby, immediately fell in step beside him. “Sir?” Jimmy inquired, softly.“We’re going to Hastings’ clinic.” Alaric's response was clipped. Jimmy felt the suppressed rage and shuddered inwardly. Jimmy needed no further explanation. His sharp gaze darkened as he nodded. “Understood.”Dr. H